A Complete Guide to Casting a Ziwei Doushu Chart: 14 Main Stars, Six Auspicious and Six Malefic Stars, Sihua, and Shensha

Ziwei charting has many steps, but the sequence is fixed. Once you know the flow, the symbols become readable. This article walks from birth data through palaces, bureau, and main stars to sihua.

Step 1: birth data

You need birth year, month, day, and hour. Ziwei uses the lunar calendar; convert from the Gregorian date if needed.

True solar time
Traditional double-hours follow the Sun’s position. Modern time zones and daylight saving can differ slightly from sundial time—correct before charting. A few dozen minutes can change the hour and the whole chart. Site tools usually compute this automatically; do not skip it.

With lunar date, corrected hour, and gender, you can place the palaces.

Charting workflow

Most people use software today; knowing the logic still helps interpretation:

1. Place Life Palace and Body Palace from birth month and hour.
2. Set the five-element bureau: water 2, wood 3, metal 4, earth 5, fire 6.
3. Locate Ziwei—once Ziwei is fixed, the main-star skeleton is set.
4. Place fourteen main stars, auxiliary stars, malefic stars, and sihua.

Fourteen main stars

They split into the Ziwei system and Tianfu system with fixed order.

Ziwei system (counterclockwise):
Ziwei → Tianji → (skip one palace) → Taiyang → Wuqu → Tiantong → (skip two palaces) → Lianzhen.

Tianfu system (clockwise):
Tianfu → Taiyin → Tanlang → Jumen → Tianxiang → Tianliang → Qisha → (skip three palaces) → Pojun.

After Ziwei and Tianfu are set, other main stars follow the rules.

Six auspicious stars

Auspicious stars add support, resources, and reputation; read them with main stars and palaces—not alone.

• Zuofu, Youbi: cooperation and backup; Zuofu more active, Youbi gentler.
• Wenchang, Wenqu: learning, skill, eloquence; Wenchang more orthodox, Wenqu more artistic.
• Tiankui, Tianyue: noblemen, opportunity, senior help.

Six malefic stars

Malefic stars often mean resistance, change, or force—not automatic misfortune.

• Qingyang, Tuoluo: competition and persistence; Qingyang sharp, Tuoluo tangled.
• Huoxing, Lingxing: sudden shifts and emotion; Huoxing explosive, Lingxing softer.
• Dikong, Dijie: fluctuation and detachment; may affect assets, also linked to insight and creativity.

With strong main stars (e.g. Ziwei, Qisha), malefic stars can sometimes become drive.

Four transformations

Sihua is the core of dynamic reading:

• Hua Lu: opportunity, wealth, enjoyment.
• Hua Quan: control, authority, achievement.
• Hua Ke: reputation, talent, noblemen.
• Hua Ji: pressure, obstacles, turning points.

Sihua comes from the birth-year heavenly stem. Example for Jia year: Lianzhen Hua Lu, Pojun Hua Quan, Wuqu Hua Ke, Taiyang Hua Ji. See A complete explanation of Ziwei Doushu sihua.

Shensha

Smaller stars such as Hongluan, Tianxi, and Huagai add detail (e.g. romance, solitude). They should not override main stars and sihua.

Closing

Correct charting is the basis of interpretation. Accurate time, calendar, and placement let you judge each life domain on the chart.

To try online charting or read more articles, visit the Ming Ming 3 Ziwei section.